Pabna District
Pabna District (rajshahi division) area 2376.13 sq km, located in between 23°48' and 24°21' north latitudes and in between 89°00' and 89°44' east longitudes. It is bounded by natore and sirajganj districts on the north, padma river, rajbari and kushtia districts on the south, manikganj and Sirajganj districts and jamuna river on the east, Padma River, Natore and Kushtia districts on the west.
Population Total 2523179; male 1262934, female 1260245; Muslim 2445702, Hindu 73487, Buddhist 43, Christian 3074 and others 873.
Water bodies Main rivers: Padma, Baral, Jamuna, ichamati, atrai, Hurasagar, Chiknai; chalan beel is notable.
Administration Pabna District was formed in 1832. Of the nine upazilas of the district pabna sadar is the largest (443.90.41 sq km, it occupies 18.72% of the total area of the district) and bhangura is the smallest (136 sq km).
| District | |||||||||
| Area (sq km) | Upazila | Municipality | Union | Mouza | Village | Population | Density (per sq km) | Literacy rate (%) | |
| Urban | Rural | ||||||||
| 2376.13 | 9 | 9 | 73 | 1187 | 1562 | 387675 | 2135504 | 1062 | 46.7 |
| Others Information of District | ||||||||
| Name of upazila | Area (sq km) | Municipality | Union | Mouza | Village | Population | Density (per sq km) | Literacy rate (%) |
| Atgharia | 186.15 | 1 | 5 | 102 | 122 | 157254 | 845 | 43.7 |
| Ishwardi | 250.89 | 1 | 7 | 98 | 126 | 313932 | 1251 | 55.0 |
| Chatmohar | 310.10 | 1 | 11 | 161 | 236 | 291121 | 939 | 45.6 |
| Pabna Sadar | 439.30 | 1 | 10 | 243 | 291 | 590914 | 1345 | 51.4 |
| Faridpur | 137.67 | 1 | 6 | 56 | 87 | 130335 | 947 | 42.5 |
| Bera | 243.43 | 1 | 9 | 130 | 163 | 256793 | 1055 | 41.2 |
| Bhangura | 138.36 | 1 | 5 | 65 | 122 | 124433 | 899 | 44.0 |
| Santhia | 331.55 | 1 | 10 | 156 | 234 | 380301 | 1147 | 43.9 |
| Sujanagar | 338.65 | 1 | 10 | 171 | 182 | 278096 | 821 | 41.9 |
Source Bangladesh Population Census 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
War of Liberation Freedom fighters had an encounter with the Pak army on 29 March 1971 at the Telephone Exchange Compound of Pabna Sadar upazila in which 22 Pakistani soldiers were killed. On the same day the Pak army killed 5 youths at village Madhabdi under Ishwardi upazila. On 31 March 1971 the freedom fighters resisted the Pak army at the Nagarbari Ferry Ghat of Bera upazila. On 9 April the Pak army conducted air raids at the Nagarbari Ferry Ghat in order to dislodge the freedom fighters in which a number of innocent civilians were killed. On 19 April a battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at Paikarhati (a border place between Bera and Santiha) on the Nagarbari-Bogra Highway in which 25 freedom fighters and 150 Pakistani soldiers were killed. On 22 May 1971, the Pak army killed 156 innocent persons at village Hadal of Faridpur upazila. They also conducted heavy plundering, set 70 houses on fire and violated women of this upazila. On 30 Baishak (first month of Bengali calendar), the Pak army, in collaboration with the razakars, indiscriminately fired on innocent people and killed about 800 of them of village Demra under Faridpur upazila. They also conducted plundering, violation of women and set many mosques, temples, schools, madrasahs and settlements on fire. On 4 Bhadra (fifth month of Bengali calendar) the Pak army arrested 700 persons of village Gopalpur of this upazila and killed 26 of them; they also conducted heavy plundering and violation of women. Besides, on 27 Ramadan (Hijri month), the Pak army killed 8 innocent persons at village Majat and 3 persons at village Ratanpur of the upazila. In the month of October 1971 a battle was fought between the freedom fighters and the Pak army at a place on the bank of the river Chiknai near the Railway Bridge of Chatmohar upazila in which 7 freedom fighters were killed. On 27 November the Pak army in collaboration with the razakars violated women at Dhulaura Fakir Para of Nagdemra union under Santhia upazila. The Pak army captured 22 freedom fighters from this place and killed 21 of them by bayonet charge; however, one freedom fighter somehow managed to escape. On 14 December the 12th span of the hardinge bridge broke down into the river due to bombing on the bridge by the Indian Air Forces; besides, spans number 9 and 15 were also partially damaged. On 14 December the Pak army shot three freedom fighters dead of Sujanagar upazila. Mass graves had been discovered at 4 places (Pabna Sadar, Atgharia, Bera, Santhia) of the upazila; there are 7 mass killing sites (2 at Bera, 2 at Faridpur, and 3 at Sujanagar). Memorial monuments were built at 5 places (one each at Chatmohar , Ishwardi, and Pabna Sadar and 2 at Santhia) and there is a memorial sculpture at Paikorhat at Bera.
Literacy rate and educational institutions Average literacy 46.7%; male 47.8%, female 45.6%. Noted educational institutions: Pabna Edward College (1898), Sanra Marwari School and College (1917), Sara Marwari School and College, Ishwardi Government College (1963), Bera Degree College (1964), Haji Jamaluddin Degree College (1970), Chatmohar Degree College (1970), Atgharia Degree College (1972), Bhangura Mohila College (1998), Government Mohila College, Govt. Shaheed Bulbul College, Pabna Zila School (1853), Bharenga Academy (1858), Chatmohar RCN and BSN Pilot High School (1861), Pabna Polytechnic Institute (1891), GC Institution (1894), Radhanagar Majumdar Academy (1899), RM Academy (1899), Bera BB Pilot High School (1899), Krishnapur Government Girls' High School (1903), Town Girls' High School (1903), Bera High School (1906), Pakuria High School (1907), Banwari Nagar CB Pilot High School (1912), Dhobakhola Coronation High School (1912), Khalilpur High School (1917), Ruppur Girls' School (1918), Bangladesh Railway Government Girls' High School (1918), Nakalia Sanrashia Banik High School (1919), Satbaria High School (1920), Selim Nazir High School (1924), Government Girls' High School (1925), Haripur Durgadas High School (1925), Cental Girls' High School (1926), Ishwardi Girls' High School (1929), MC Jubilee High School (1936), Santhia Pilot High School (1943), Debattar Pilot High School (1966), Debattar Model Government Primary School (1880), Santhia Government Primary School (1901), Dhulauri Kawsaria Kamil Madrasa (1907), Ulat Siddiquia Fazil Madrasa (1915), Dhaleshwar Islamia Dakhil Madrasa (1922), Taha Islamia Dakhil Madrasa (1923), Pabna Aliya Madrasa (1925), Sharatnagar Fazil Madrasa (1927).
Main sources of income Agriculture 53.75%, non-agricultural labourer 4.57%, industry 4.58%, commerce 14.97%, transport and communication 4.14%, service 7.41%, construction 1.64%, religious service 0.16%, rent and remittance 0.49% and others 8.29%.
Newspapers and periodicals Daily: Ichamati, Nirvar, Uttar Janata (Ishwardi); weekly: Gayana Bikashini, Pabna Barta, Bibreti, Charmohar Barta, Faridpur Barta, Junction, Janadabi (Ishwardi), Arshi; fortnightly: Jamuna; monthly: Gayana Prava, Palli Darpan, Manasi, Amader Desh, Pabna; others: Subadhani, Poridarshak, Asa, Tawhid, Sachetan (Bhangura).
Folk culture Folk songs prevalent in the district include Dhua song, Barase song, Jari, Sari, Jag song, Marfati, Meyeli song (songs sung by women on various folk festivals), etc. The people of the region practice a number of oral folk cultures such as rhymes, riddle, proverbs and different types of folk tales. Popular folk games and sports of the district include boat race, bow and arrow game, Lari Lathi game, Dang-guti, wrestling, tug of war, Jor-bijor, Panch Guti, swimming, Bagarjani, Ban Bandhi, Gollachhut, Ha-du-du, Kanamachhi, Kumir-Danga, Snake charming, Monkey game, Bou Chhi, Ekka Dokka, Kite flying, etc.
Important installations Hardinge Bridge, Lalon Shah Bridge, Ishwardi Railway Junction, Agriculture Research Centre (biggest in Asia),' Sugarcane Research Centre (only in Bangladesh and biggest in Asia) and Ishwardi Airport. [Md. Shariful Alam]
See also The upazilas under this district.
References Bangladesh Population Census 2001 and 2011, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics; Cultural survey report of Pabna District 2007; Cultural survey report of upazilas of Pabna District 2007.
